New record set around the chess boards
Last week, a new record was set with 26 players pitching for a game of chess.
Every Wednesday night, chess players in Parys gather around the chess boards at Lekker Bistro for a social game of chess and the company of those who enjoy the game. Last week, a new record was set with 26 players pitching for a game of chess.
For the first time, club members of the Tumahole Chess Club also joined and proved to be masters of the game. While the regulars play for the fun on a Wednesday, the Tumahole Club competes under the Free State Department of Sports and Recreation. They gather once a week and play against other clubs over weekends. This coming weekend, they will play against players from seven chess clubs in Vereeniging.
The Tumahole Chess Club was officially founded in 1994 after Tieho Roberts and others introduced the game in Tumahole in 1983.
The club also holds regular club cham- pionships and trains young players.
Among the 30 members of the club are exceptional players like Ernest Phakoe (the undisputed Free State chess champion), Tieho (Baba) Roberts (the SA Democratic Teachers Union Champion), Tshepang Tlale (Women’s International Master, winning the title at the age of 12 in 2011 at the African Junior Chess Championships). Tlale represented SA countless times as part of the Women’s Chess Olympiad team. In 2016, she was the first girl to earn a spot on the bu.16 Olympiad team competing in China. In the same year, she was also the best-performing South African at the Olympiad in Norway, with a score of 7/10.
The club also has the honour of having Free State Chess president, Tshediso Ramabodu, as a member.
Tumahole Chess Club practises at 32655 Skotiphola or 12773 Winnie section on Sundays. Interested players can contact Tieho on 066 486 5387, or Pulane on 082 768 6640.
Interested players can also join for a social game of chess at Lekker Bistro in Parys at 18:00 on Wednesdays. Send a WhatsApp to Danny on 071 341 8482 so you can be added to the Chess WhatsApp group.
